Transcendentalism In The Great Gatsby

One can live their life however they would like to. The great thing about life is we all get to make our own decisions. People do not need others to help them decide who they are and what type of person they want to become. Letting people’s thoughts and actions take over one’s life will lead to an unfulfilled life with many challenges to overcome. In the 1925 historical drama novel The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, the main character Jay Gatsby, who lives in New York, decides to live the life of his own. He is a very wealthy man who likes to let others know about his money. Gatsby is pursuing his true love Daisy throughout the novel, but experiences many hardships on the way. He comes across these obstacles when following his dream

To begin, while Nick and Gatsby are having a conversation at Gatsby’s house, Gatsby is taken back by what Nick has to say about going back in time by saying, “‘Can’t repeat the past? Why of course you can!’” (Fitzgerald 110). Gatsby firmly believes in the fact that one can go back in time and experience the events that had occurred already but Nick refuses to accept the idea. Gatsby is unwilling to listen to Nick’s view on being able to live in the past, and therefore, gets upset with Nick. Later in the novel, Gatsby decides to try to live in the past again by telling his gardener, “‘Don’t do it to-day. You know, old sport, I’ve never used that pool all summer?’” (Fitzgerald 153). Gatsby claims he does not want his gardener to drain his pool because he wants to swim in the pool even though the summer is over. The real reason he says this is because Daisy is moving at the end of summer and by draining the pool it means the summer has come to an end. Gatsby wants to still live in the past because that is when he gets to spend time with Daisy and love her. Many people disagree with Gatsby, as they see living in the past impossible and unachievable. Furthermore, Emerson believes in the total opposite than that of Gatsby by writing,

Gatsby 's chances of winning over Daisy come to an end once the summer ends and he does not accept the fact that she is going to be moving away. To enhance his chances, Gatsby tries to go back in time, which he only understands. Emerson believes one 's memory will not be able to uphold all recent enjoyments and there is a reason we live in the present. To feel better about himself, Gatsby is known for his magnificent parties. Everyone who attends his parties knows of Gatsby and that is what Gatsby cares about. He wants people to be informed about him and he hopes his image comes across as a great person to others. Thoreau disagrees with how Gatsby chooses to live his life because life should not be dependent on others; one should live their life without worrying how others feel about them. If one lets someone’s opinions affect how they choose to live their life, they are not themselves anymore; they are a new person created from the views of